


Can I Keep You?

by EzzyDean



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-29
Updated: 2013-12-29
Packaged: 2018-01-06 14:05:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1107742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EzzyDean/pseuds/EzzyDean





	Can I Keep You?

He wasn’t sure when the group hanging out had shifted to just them hanging out.  The realization just kind of hit him that night when he came back out from finishing a bath and Rei was waiting for him.  Asleep on the floor and curled up around one of Haru’s favorite books.  Looking down at him fondly he grabbed a blanket to cover him.  The last thing he wanted was for Rei to get sick because he was too stubborn to just go home when he was tired.  The thought of Rei finally feeling comfortable enough around him to just grab a book from the shelf and wind up asleep warmed him a little.  Being around Rei was oddly relaxing.  He didn’t demand attention like Nagisa.  He didn’t give in to Haru like Makoto did.  But he didn’t insist on his own way like Rin.  He just fit with Haru and until that moment he had never realized how nice that felt.  Reaching out to gently remove Rei’s glasses he stopped when he met his eyes, sure Rei had been asleep.

"You shouldn’t sleep in your glasses.  You’ll roll over and crush them."  Rei blinked up at him, trying to break through the sleepiness that had overtaken him.  Was he dreaming?  Why else would Haru be looking at him with such a kind look on his normally expressionless face.  Noticing the blanket it Haru’s hand he decided it really was a dream and did the only logical thing he could think of: he grabbed Haru’s wrist and tugged him onto the floor next to him.  Haru was surprised when Rei wrapped his arms around him and gave a content, sleepy sigh.  "I’m not sleeping on the floor with you."  He softly spoke after a moment, untangling himself from the younger man, who looked at him confusedly.  When he stood up he looked down at Rei and sighed; holding out his hand he gave the still sleepy man a rare explanation for his actions.  "I’m not sleeping on the floor with you when I have a bed down the hall."  When Rei still didn’t react Haru shrugged.  "Suit yourself."  

He dropped the blanket over Rei and padded down the hall, shutting lights off as he went.  If he wanted to sleep on the floor, the so be it.  But Haru was not going wake up with a stiff back just because Rei wanted to snuggle with him when there was a perfectly suitable bed right here.  Flopping ungracefully onto the mattress he curled up on top of the blankets and stared at the wall in the dark.  In the end it didn’t really matter so why was it bothering him so much that Rei didn’t come with?  Was he really that starving for attention right now?  He knew himself and his limits pretty well.  He knew that while he was usually fairly reserved and shut off from others sometimes he got urges to be around people.  When that happened he would just head over to Makoto’s and more or less force his way into the family.  Not that they ever minded.  They welcomed him and fed him and surrounded him until he had his fill and left.  But he didn’t want that tonight.  When he saw Rei laying there he had wanted him to wake up and smile at him.  To surround him with that weird way of thinking he had.  Haru was so lost in his own thoughts he didn’t even hear Rei step into his room and wasn’t even aware of his presence until he sat on the edge of the bed.  When the younger man leaned over and hesitantly rested his hand on Haru’s shoulder it hit him.  He wanted Rei to stay with him.

Haru grabbed Rei’s hand and pulled him against him.  He wanted this cheerfully awkward guy and his blushing apologies and his ridiculous bright red glasses to be a part of his life.  As Rei wrapped his arms around him and settled him against his chest so gently he wondered if, just maybe, Rei would like that too.


End file.
